Life Histories and Feeding Ecology

The diversity of moth life histories and larval feeding habits enables them to exploit numerous environments and resources. Whilst moths are predominantly herbivores, particular moth taxa have broadened larval feeding habits to utilize foodstuffs such as keratin, animal faeces, fungi and others; a few have become predators or parasites. Larvae of many moths are polyphagous generalist feeders on a variety of different plants. Others are very specific and depend on particular food plants, to which they may be directed by female oviposition. Australia’s moths include numerous endemic taxa that are linked intricately with native endemic vegetation, either as free-living external feeders or as miners or tunnellers inside the plants. This chapter is a summary of ecological and evolutionary variety and specializations among Australian moths as exemplified through their feeding ecology.